GO.

Take a break from classrooms

But not from education, at these enlightening, yet entertaining, exhibits

April 11, 2003|By Kelly Aiglon, Special to the Tribune.

Kids cut loose from classes during spring break, but many families consider the weeklong vacation as time to rally around educational activity, not take repose from it.

Plainfield mom Tammy Wayne has a spring-break schedule in store for her daughter Caitlin, 8, that leaves little time to be idle. "She'll watch TV--but briefly," Wayne says. "We don't want her sitting around doing nothing, so her father's taking the week off of work to do some extra-curricular things with her."

On the roster: a trip to SciTech (18 W. Benton St., Aurora, 630-859-3434), a science museum where Caitlin will make giant bubbles and launch a miniature hot air balloon. "These things might seem basic to us, but they open up a whole world of exploring for her," says Wayne. "She can create and build things, which she loves, so she doesn't think of it as learning. For her, it's fun."

For families like the Waynes, who want their younger children to beat the brain drain that comes along with having a little time off from school, there are numerous area attractions that make education exciting.

The much-frequented Chicago Children's Museum (700 E. Grand Ave., Navy Pier, 312-527-1000) offers lots in the way of interactive activity. Here, the exhibit "WaterWays" makes the biggest splash, as tykes use pulleys, pumps, wheels and pipes to manipulate the flow of water.

If you enjoy the kind of hands-on fun that "WaterWays" affords, but are looking to escape the tourist throng, head north to the Kohl Children's Museum (165 Green Bay Rd., Wilmette, 847-512-1300). Here, kids make joyful noises at "Music Makers," an exhibit packed with instruments that can be touched and explored. Along with xylophones and string instruments, there are transparent drums filled with confetti--perfect for teaching tots about vibrations.

"Little kids tend to play the drums just to hear big bangs, but as they grow older, they begin to organize sound into rhythms," says Kohl's communications manager Dave Judy. "In the end, they learn that making music is really a way to express emotions."

Kohl Children's Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; admission is $6.

Do your kids feel animal magnetism? The Lincoln Park Zoo (2200 N. Cannon Drive, 312-742-2000) is an obvious choice for young ones who love to learn about wild things. Its new Farm-in-the-Zoo lets kids interact with pigs, cows and other barnyard-dwelling animals.

While Lincoln Park Zoo is a family favorite, you won't ruffle your child's feathers by taking them to Lambs Farm (14245 W. Rockland Rd., Libertyville, 847-362-4636). Lambs Farm offers activities like miniature golf and wagon rides, but the main focus is education. Its Discovery Center reveals fun farm facts (you'll walk away knowing the difference between straw and hay--one is for bedding, one is for feed), while The Farmyard lets families mix with ponies, llamas, donkeys and chickens. Educators are always on hand to answer questions about the menagerie of critters on view.

"I'll try to get the kids talking," says farmyard staff member Shelley Syoen. "For the littlest ones, I'll ask, `What does a cow say?' [And] for the older kids, I'll get into issues like an animal's anatomy, diet and physiology. If someone asks me a question that I don't know the answer to, I'll try to do some research and let them know before they leave."

Lambs Farm is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; admission to The Farmyard is $2 for adults and children ages 2 and older.

You can also become immersed in an animal kingdom at the off-the-beaten-path Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center (9800 S. Willow Springs Rd., Willow Springs, 708-839-6897). Found in the midst of a forest preserve, the center features exhibits about wildlife native to the area.

Frogs, salamanders, snakes and fish are seen in indoor environments, while hawks and owls take up roost outside. If the kids are really in an exploratory mood, you can embark on three miles of pathways that snake around the property.

Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day but Friday; admission is free. Family programs take place every weekend (stop by at 1:30 p.m. Saturday for Frog Chorus, a fun frog hunt).

If you've got budding history buffs in the family, you may have made the trek to Naper Settlement (523 S. Webster St., Naperville, 630-420-6010), a 19th Century community that's been re-created in Chicago's southwest suburbs. Costumed "villagers" revive the spirit of the Victorian era by cranking old-time presses and doing metalwork over smoldering forges.

For a different--and truly authentic--take on pioneer times, head to the Garfield Farm Museum (Garfield Road at Illinois Highway 38, LaFox, 630-584-8485). At this living-history farm and museum (currently open by appointment only), kids witness how animals played a role in farm labor. Oxen are actually used for fieldwork here, just as they were in the 1800s, and wild turkeys roam about. Young ones have a hand in the fun; they can help with farm chores, like collecting eggs and feeding animals.

"It used to be that, out of every 100 people, two didn't live on farms. Today, it's the opposite," says assistant site manager Jan Ott. "Most of the kids that visit don't even have grandparents who lived on farms, so they don't know what goes into food production. This helps them understand how life has changed."